From time to time, Keith looked up from his plate as she talked, his eyes filled with gratitude. When he was full and couldn’t eat another bite, he sat up straight and said, “I have to go home now.”
“Go on then,” Lola said, “But remember, there will always be a place for you at my table.”
Keith muttered his thanks, stole a sideways glance at Sebastian, and then left. In his wake was a strange feeling, as though they had just spent the afternoon with an alien from another planet. Sebastian still couldn’t believe that Keith had been there, sitting at the table with them, enjoying food that his grandmother had so lovingly prepared. And not once had he said an ugly provoking or disparaging word to him.
As Lola began to clear the table, Sebastian asked, “What did you say to him out by the mailbox?”
“I’ll tell you, but first, you have to tell me how you managed to get him here.”
Sebastian told his grandmother all that had transpired earlier that day in the principal’s office, the things Keith’s father said, and how Keith behaved when his mother pulled out the cigarettes from her purse. Even now, Sebastian didn’t understand what it all meant, but he assumed Keith was grateful to him for having lied, and sparing him a beating from his father. As Lola listened, she nodded knowingly, not at all surprised to hear what her grandson was telling her.
“And you were right about the black haired old lady,” Sebastian concluded. “I asked her about Keith and she told me to invite him to your house and she said that it would be alright just like you did.”
Lola looked away from her grandson so that he wouldn’t see the tears gathering in her eyes. “And now, there is something I must do,” she said. Lola called the police and then she was referred to another agency where she reported what she suspected was going on between Keith and his parents, making sure to specifically mention the small round scabs on Keith’s hands, and the strange way he had responded to his mother’s cigarettes. She was assured that a social worker would investigate, and that if Keith were in any danger, steps would be taken to protect him. When Lola returned to the table, she told Sebastian that she would help him explain to his mother what had happened, for she would certainly have received a phone call from the school informing her about all that transpired during the meeting with Keith’s parents, including Sebastian’s admission to lying, and his weeklong punishment in the naughty circle.
Then Sebastian asked, “So, what did you say to Keith out at the mailbox?”
“I told him that I knew he was hurting and I promised him that if he took a chance, and shared a meal with us, he would begin to heal.”
“Do you think he’s healing now Abuela?”
She thought about this for a moment, and then replied, “We all are.”
Chapter Twenty-four
It was a beautiful warm day, so Dean took Sebastian and Jennifer for a drive along the coast, something he’d been wanting to do for some time. Sebastian didn’t mind giving up the front seat for his sister. He was so glad she had decided to join them, he would’ve ridden on the roof just to make her happy. Dean was happy too. He kept chuckling at his own silly jokes, and glancing over to his right as though to make absolutely sure that it was really his daughter sitting next to him, and not some wishful figment of his imagination. For the moment, her presence seemed to make up for everything that was wrong with the family, and for the first time since his father left, Sebastian felt hopeful that things might get better. Now there would be two of them to tell their mother about how well things went with Dad, and maybe this time she would listen a little bit more.
When Jennifer was in a good mood she could talk nonstop about anything, even a trip to the market could evolve into an endless monologue, but never before had the sound of her voice sounded so lovely to Sebastian. And Dean managed to interject a word or two here and there. The loud rumbling of the jeep’s engine made it impossible for Sebastian to hear what they were saying, but the lilting sound of their easy conversation relaxed him, and he was more than happy to watch the ocean and the broad sandy beaches sweep by his window beneath a sky so blue it almost hurt to look at it. He felt more content than he had in a long time, but then it occurred to him that maybe he shouldn’t allow himself to enjoy the moment too much. At the end of the day, his father would drop them off at the house and that cold empty feeling would creep in again, and set off an aching worse than any physical pain he’d ever known. But that was still hours away, so he tried not to think about it anymore.
After a long walk on the beach, they had lunch at a little seaside restaurant where they served only fish and chips or chicken fingers for people who didn’t like fish. Sebastian was starving and ordered a large order of the fish and chips. Jennifer said that she’d only have a salad because her grandmother’s cooking was making her gain weight, and pretty soon she wouldn’t fit into her cheerleading uniform. Dean said that the sea air was making him very hungry too, and he ordered the same as Sebastian.
They hadn’t talked about their mother all day, although when all was silent Sebastian felt her hovering through the spaces between them like a spying ghost who wasn’t too happy to see her family having such a good time without her.
Jennifer felt it too because part way through lunch she said, “Dad, why do you think Mom is so stubborn?”
He was put off by the question, and wasn’t quite sure how to answer at first. “Your mother has always been strong willed,” he finally said. “That’s one of the reasons I married her.”
“Oh come on Dad, don’t patronize me. She’s being an absolute bitch, and you know it.”
He blinked once. In the few weeks he’d been away, he’d forgotten how blunt his daughter could be, just like her mother actually. “Please don’t talk about your mother that way. She loves you very much, both of you.”
“I know she does, but enough is enough already. You’ve been gone for almost three months and you apologized and everything.” Jennifer twirled a French fry she took from Sebastian’s plate in her ketchup. “Mom stays mad better than anybody I know.”
Dean had nothing to say in response, and they continued eating their fish and chips in silence. The light hearted mood they’d been enjoying most of the day had grown heavy and Sebastian resented Jennifer for having called their mother a bitch, even though he agreed that the description fit her at times.
After lunch they decided to take a stroll along the pier. There were a handful of men fishing off the end of it, leaning over the railing with their poles positioned at different angles into the water. They were so still and lifeless that they almost looked like statues, and it was easy to imagine that they’d been patiently waiting for years to catch a fish.
Sebastian peeked into their water-filled pails, and saw that only two of the men had caught anything, yet nobody seemed to be discouraged. They enjoyed being there on this mild afternoon and maybe it didn’t really matter to them. The heaviness that had come over them during lunch lifted little by little as they made their way down the pier, and Dean was humming a tune by the time they reached the end of it.
While they leaned against the railing, he pointed out to sea. “Hey look, you can see Catalina Island clear as a bell.”
The island shimmered on the horizon, and it felt good standing there in the sunlight with the ocean breeze fresh against their faces, looking out at Catalina Island with their father standing between them. Jennifer was gazing out, lost in thought. Sebastian wondered if she was feeling badly about what she’d said earlier, although she seemed very content to be there, and he didn’t think she would say anything else to ruin the mood. Then Dean put his arms around his children’s shoulders, and they stood there in silence for some time basking in the warmth and well being of the moment.
Then he said softly, “I’ve really enjoyed spending this day with you two, and I hate for it to come to an end, but I promised your mother I wouldn’t get you home too late. It’s a school night, after all.”
They walked slowly back to the
car, and Sebastian watched the sun set over the ocean as they drove home. He tried to hold on to the feelings of the day, the stirring of hope and happiness in his belly, but as the sun dipped further and further down the sky, he felt the experience waning and the cold reality of his parent’s separation settled in like a block of ice. He hated to think that this was the forever he’d have to get used to, but he was starting to believe that it was, and pretty soon hoping would hurt more than accepting.
Jennifer was quiet as well. There was only the drone of the engine, the rumbled jerky ride in the jeep and the soft golden glow of the setting sun on the horizon. When it disappeared completely, a gray light descended over the sky slowly overtaking the embers that remained, little by little, until all of the colors of the day were consumed by the encroaching night.
Sebastian’s throat grew tight, and he held back the tears for the rest of the ride home and all during the time that he spent with his mother and sister at home watching TV before going up to his room. He held them as he took his bath, and as he finished his spelling homework, although he could feel the ball welling up and surging in his throat. It was only after his mother turned out the light and kissed him goodnight, that he allowed them to flow freely. But even then, he didn’t make a sound so that his mother wouldn’t hear him weeping through the wall as he sometimes heard her.
Chapter Twenty-five
The time for Sebastian’s reign as “Student of the Month” had come to an end. Although he’d spent a week of that time sitting in the naughty circle with Keith during recess, it had been an exceptional month. The two boys took to exchanging notes while in the naughty circle and sometimes during class as well, and an earnest if fragile friendship had developed between them. It was while reading one of Keith’s notes that Sebastian learned his new friend was no longer living with his parents, but with an aunt who lived close by, a woman Keith described as “boring but nice.”
As the days passed, Sebastian noticed that Keith was gradually changing. He no longer used foul language out on the playground, although occasionally he slipped, and that harsh menacing light in his eyes had faded somewhat. When he ran across the field before, it seemed that only his rage fueled him whereas now it was his athleticism and desire to win that stood out. Whenever he made a goal, which he often did, he appeared to be truly satisfied and proud of his accomplishment.
Sebastian liked this new Keith very much, and so did everybody else so that if Keith had been popular before, he was now a superstar. Students and teachers alike rallied around him every chance they had. There was even one time that Sebastian saw Mr. Grulich pat Keith on the back with fatherly affection when they left the office together, and Ms. Ashworth’s eyes always glowed with admiration and sympathy whenever they fell upon him.
While it’s true that Sebastian liked Keith now, he sometimes felt that Green Eyed monster nipping at his heels in earnest. Why hadn’t his suffering elevated him to Keith’s status? Sebastian had hated the old Keith, but now he felt a mixture of love and resentment for the new Keith, and he didn’t know which feeling was worse.
When the day came to announce who the new Student of the Month would be, it was no surprise to anyone when Ms. Ashworth called Keith up to the front of the class. All of the students pounded their desks and hooped and hollered their approval for this month’s appointment like no other. And standing up there with his medal hanging around his neck, Keith looked like the king of the world. And when it came time to laud him with praise, it seemed that every student’s hand shot up in the air at once. One by one they told him how wonderful he was, what an amazing athlete, how powerful and strong. They told him that he was handsome, and smart and the most fun to be around. And when it was Kelly Taylor’s turn, her eyes beamed at him when she said that she knew he would be famous one day, a movie star or maybe even president. A hush fell over the room, as they absorbed her prophetic words. It even gave Ms. Ashworth pause, and she gazed at Keith with wonder.
The only person who didn’t appreciate Keith’s positive turn was Sean. He dearly missed the shady misadventures of the past, and often tried to lure Keith back to his previous ways. Keith was able to resist him most of the time, but he could still be tempted to push an unsuspecting boy into the girl’s bathroom from time to time, and if the cafeteria served hamburgers or hotdogs for lunch, Keith always ended up with an extra serving on his plate while some other poor soul had none.
One afternoon as Sebastian was walking off the school grounds, Sean caught up to him, grabbed him roughly by the collar and demanded that he dance like a monkey again. He called out loudly toward Keith who was walking away in the other direction. “Hey, we haven’t seen Monkey Boy dance for awhile. Let’s see if he still remembers his monkey moves.”
As usual, Keith’s interest motivated several others to follow him, including Kelly Taylor, and now quite a large group was making their way toward them. Sebastian dropped his book bag, more incredulous than scared. After all that had happened, how could he be facing this regurgitated humiliation yet again? This time, he vowed to fight them all, and as Keith approached, Sebastian curled his fists and gritted his teeth. Not even the sight of Kelly Taylor would deter him. This time, it was a fight to the death.
Keith walked straight up to Sean and shoved his shoulder hard. “Let him go,” he seethed.
Sean released Sebastian’s collar at once, and fell away. “What’s your problem?” he asked. “It’s only Monkey Boy.”
“Don’t touch him again,” Keith said. “Because if you do…” he paused as he thought about it. “If you do, I’ll have to kill you.”
Sean stared incredulously at his former friend. There was no mistaking the rage in Keith’s eyes, but Sean wasn’t one to back down easily, especially when there were so many other kids watching. He glared at Keith and stepped toward Sebastian intent on grabbing the smaller boy again, but before Sean could lay a hand on Sebastian, Keith dropped Sean to the ground on his stomach, and twisted his arm around his back. Whenever Sean tried to move, Keith twisted his arm higher up his back, causing him to groan in agony.
With his knee firmly on Sean’s back, Keith looked up to Sebastian and asked, “What should I do with him?”
Sebastian shook his head, baffled and amazed by what had just happened.
“Just say the word, and I’ll snap his neck,” Keith said.
Sean groaned some more and twitched under Keith’s weight.
Sebastian shuddered at the thought, and was speechless, as he gazed into Keith’s eyes.
“You’re not sure are you?” Keith said with a nod that meant, ‘Go with me on this.’ “You want to think about it for a little while. That’s okay, I have plenty of time.”
And then Sebastian realized that Keith wasn’t really planning to hurt Sean, he just wanted to scare him, while giving Sebastian the opportunity to feel powerful. Suddenly a thrilling rush of adrenaline surged through him, but immediately he felt the burden that came with power. He wanted to do the right thing, yet he knew that how he did it would be tricky if he was going to stay in Keith’s good graces.
After thinking about it for a moment or two longer, Sebastian began to make a show out of dusting himself off, and righting his shirt, causing the other kids sniggered, and Kelly Taylor more loudly than the rest. “Let me think,” he said. “I’ve never seen anybody get their neck snapped before which could be kind of interesting…” He picked up his book bag, and took his time slinging it over his shoulder. “But it could also be messy, and I don’t like the sight of blood. So, I think this time you should let him go.”
“Are you sure?” Keith asked, sounding extremely disappointed.
“Well…let’s see….” Sebastian said, putting his finger to his chin and assuming a very thoughtful pose. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Okay, have it your way,” Keith said and he released Sean who immediately sprang up to his feet, his face red and his fists clenched while glaring at Keith and Sebastian.
He was backing away wh
en Keith asked, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Sean stared at him, dumbfounded.
“You didn’t thank Sebastian for saving your life, and that isn’t very nice,” Keith said.
“That isn’t very nice,” the other kids taunted.
Sean clenched his jaw tight, and it didn’t look like he would comply when suddenly he blurted out, “Thanks for saving my life… Monkey Boy!” and then he turned and ran off as fast as his legs could carry him.
The popularity of footsie tether ball hadn’t waned, and most of the kids spent as much time playing this new game as they did playing soccer. Because of this, Sebastian spent most of his recess time watching the other kids play while seated on the bench beneath the willow tree. As he predicted, several of the other students, Sean and Kelly Taylor included, had become quite proficient with practice, and while Sebastian still remained one of the best players, he was no longer the absolute best. Although, as the creator of the game, he was still the unquestioned technical expert and sometimes when disagreements arose, his classmates sought him out as referee, a role that suited him rather well.
Sometimes when Sebastian sat on his bench beneath the willow tree, Kelly Taylor joined him and they talked about many things. It was the best part of Sebastian’s day, rivaling the time he spent with his grandmother at Bungalow Haven. He learned that Kelly Taylor was not only a good athlete, but clever and artistic as well. She collected heart shaped rocks, and kept them in a box under her bed. She enjoyed painting them different colors, and promised Sebastian that she would bring some to school so he could see for himself how beautiful they were.
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